Prairie agalinis in front of Texas lantana

After a far and then a somewhat nearer look last time at prairie agalinis, Agalinis heterophylla, here’s an even closer look at a flower of that species. Note its speckled throat and the fringe of tiny hairs on its petals. This time there are no partridge peas in the background but instead a flowering Texas lantana, Lantana urticoides. Today’s view is from September 14th in the Blunn Creek Preserve in south Austin.

Two weeks ago I learned that botanists have moved the genus Agalinis from the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, into a family with a scientific name I don’t remember having heard of, Orobanchaceae, known as the broomrape family. Live and learn (and if you’re in the world of botany, relearn and relearn and relearn…).

© 2015 Steven Schwartzman